Did you always want to be a firefighter?  “Yes. I like how firemen save people’s lives.”

Tell us about your typical day at the firehouse. “It’s good and I love it. I come here and clean, and we stand by. I come five or six days a week.” 

What are your favorite parts of the job? “Training and stand by.”

What makes you happiest? “Sweeping and mopping and getting the cleaning done. And when people make me laugh, and just being with my family at home and my family at the fire station.”

Who are your heroes? “Matt Horn and Shaun Lance, because they are my buddies.”

[Matt is a lieutenant with the fire department in Sandoval, Illinois, and Shaun is an assistant chief. Matt says, “Jason meets all the requirements I have to meet. He’s restricted on the cadet program. He can’t make the first entry into a fire, but when the danger has been mitigated, he’ll bring drinking water and tools to the other firemen. He helps us in a lot of different ways. The doctor gave him a physical, and signed off on him joining the program, and he does every training I do. In 2016, he responded to 60 calls.”]

What has been your most memorable experience so far? “My Aunt Nancy’s house caught on fire. Everybody was all right. I went after they got done, and cleaned up and put away the hoses. She was happy I was there.”

What are your dreams for the future? “After I get done with the cadet program, I want to get my tan fire gear. But that takes a long time.”